Against All Odds
by rhysmeyersfan
Summary: [The Mod Squad] Pete and Julie try and make their newfound relationship work after the events of Captain Greer's death. But will the stresses of working together, jealousy, and insecurities tear them apart? PeteJulie.
1. Confessions

**A/N:**

I had the idea to explore the relationship between Pete and Julie after the events of the 1999 movie, with Claire Danes and Giovanni Ribisi, when I saw it after eight years last night. I've never seen the show, but from the clips I have seen of it, the characters seemed to me at least somewhat attracted to eachother. But Julie's demeanor is different from in the show than in the movie. So, this fic could be for both the movie and the show. But it's from the prespective of the movie.

Another note, this first chapter picks up when Julie, Pete, and Linc walk down the Boardwalk at the end of the movie.

_italics _represent flashbacks

Read/Review :)

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Julie Barnes leaned over the wood railing of the Boardwalk, and hung her head over the side. She couldn't believe this whole mess with Tricky and the others was over. It felt like she'd been living a completely different life these past few days. She was an undercover cop afterall. That was part of the job description. But this was different. Not only had Captain Greer died, but the cops had killed him. The people that she, Pete, and possibly even the hard, non-trusting Lincoln had looked to for guidance after his death. What a joke that turned out to be. Then there was Billy.

That name used to have a special ring to it when she said it millions of times in her head. When they first met and she made him her whole world, and then when he dissapeared and she felt that world crashing down around her. Not now. Now all she felt was hatred and disgust. Billy was the worst kind of person. He gambled with people's lives and destroyed everything they'd rebuilt. That's what he had done in a matter of weeks since he blew back into her life. He had brought back apart of herself that she was convinced was long buried. It had been two days, thirteen minutes, and fifty-two seconds since she had taken her last drink. Before Billy it had been a year and a half. She was doing good. She was on the straight and narrow. Well, maybe not straight. But definately narrow.

She thought about drinking, but never as much as she did after leaving that party. Walking past him and that girl in bed that morning after having been forced to listen to them have sex the night before was sickening. Her mind began to race as she looked out onto the water in front of her. That feeling was still there. That hurt. That anger. That pure hatred. She hated Billy. _Hated_ him. Hated him for making her trust him. Hated him for believing in him for a second time. But most of all hated him for making this part of herself come back to the surface. Maybe it had always been there, but had been buried because of work. She did love immersing herself in the job. It was the only thing that kept her going.

_"Could you just hold me?"_

Julie closed her eyes and smiled. Pete. He had been there for her more than anyone ever had these past few days. He'd never know how grateful she was for the motel. Hell, for coming back for her after she'd quit on he and Linc after Greer was killed. He came back for her. He took care of her when she couldn't take care of herself. On the surface, that didn't happen. She had been taking care of herself for as long as she could remember. Her parents sure as hell didn't take care of she and her sister. She had to do that. Julie never hesitated when it came to taking care of Amy. It was like second nature. When she needed Julie, she was there. They both lived in L.A. but didn't see eachother much. But when she needed something, Julie was always there. Second nature. Protect the nest. At least that's how it was for her.

"Jules?" a voice said, standing next to her.

She tried not to look like Pete had just taken her out of some of the darkest thoughts she'd ever experienced in her young life. Easier said than done. He leaned on the railing next to her, reached over, and tucked some stray blonde hair behind her ear. "You look like you're blowing away out here."

Julie laughs a little, pushing back all of the hair in her face. She stopped when she realized what she was doing. Why did she give a shit how she looked? She never did that with Pete. Pete was her partner. He was one of the only people even close to a friend. This wasn't normal. "Yeah, I know."

He watched her do this and lowered his head. Lately, all Pete wanted to do was look at Julie. He knew she hated it, but that didn't stop him. Over the past few days, he'd experienced many unwanted, newly discovered, feelings about her. The need to protect, to shelter, to save.. maybe that was just instinct. Since they'd started this job, he and Linc had always had a silent agreement that when they were all in a dangerous situation on a job, they'd always get Julie out of there first. Pete guessed it was because she was the girl in the group and she had some sort of little sister thing going on with both of them, but he knew that wasn't it. Not for him anyway. Maybe he'd always felt this way about her.

_She's beautiful_ he thought. Even standing on a pier at eleven-thirty in the morning, running on two hours of sleep, covered with dirt from head to toe, she was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. Pete Cochran had seen alot of beautiful girls. He'd grown up in the Hollywood Hills. The only son of wealthy parents. He had alot of friends and dated alot of girls. Girls who only cared about his money and who his family was, but really good looking girls nonetheless. But none of them held a candle to Julie. None of them had as much heart, strength, integrity, grace, or beauty. She had it all and more. What was he even thinking? This was Julie. She could never see him like that. He was just the older brother she never had.

Julie runs a hand through her tossled hair. Pete was silent. She wondered what he was thinking. "Fucked up couple of days, huh?" she finally says.

He breathes, "That's one way to put it, yeah."

She balances herself on the railing. "I meant-- I didn't mean.."

"No, I know what you meant."

Julie and Pete stared at eachother for a long time, until Julie turned away. The silence was about to kill her. She starts again, "I never thanked you for the other night at the motel. You saved my life. I don't know what I would have done. Probably something really dumb. Seriously, I would be in some bar or asleep in a gutter somewhere," Her voice cracks as she finishes her sentence. "Like before."

He saw that she was in pain. He'd never asked her about her past. Obviously it was pretty bad. His life hadn't been a picnic either. Especially when he started getting thrown in jail on a weekly basis only a few years before. Seeing her like this was agony for him. "You don't have to thank me. It was-- I wanted to. I mean, yeah. I was happy to do it. I wanted to do it."

She looks at him confused, but didn't wait long before asking a question. Something inside of her had to know what he'd meant. Not wanting for him to know this, she spouted her usually dose sarcasm. "I did not know that about you, Pete. You sitting up with hungover girls and holding them all night while they cry on your shoulder, and don't give you sex afterwards. Learn something new everyday."

He stares at her, his eyes not leaving hers. He hoped she knew that it wasn't about the sex. "Like I said. I wanted to do it."

Julie's eyes dart to the ground. She could feel both nervousness and excitement pumping through her veins. She knew it was her turn to speak, but couldn't bring herself to. He would have to do it for her. "Listen, Julie.." Pete starts.

"Don't say something you can't take back, okay? Please. Because I swear to God, Pete. I will kick your ass. Literally. You know I can do it, too."

Pete nods slowly, getting himself prepared for what was coming next. He remembered the first day of training when he'd questioned her abilities. He and Linc had been recruited first and didn't think their new partner was going to be a girl of all things. She was a hundred pounds of skin and bones. Right off the bat, they didn't believe the rumors they'd heard about her around the station. She looked and acted tough, but that and being tough were two very different things. It's safe to say that he knew all to well that she could kick his ass. Usually that would embarrass the hell out of him. In this case, it didn't. That was just how Julie was. You mess with her and she will mess with you times ten.

"I know you, me, and Linc are still gonna be working together. So if this is out of line feel free to smack me or whatever. Free shot."

"What?" she interjects quickly, leaning her body towards him. "And I'm not gonna smack you. I'll just throw you over the railing. Linc'll have to save you though. I'm not about to jump into that freezing cold water to save anybody."

Pete silently wished she wouldn't have moved that close to him. All he wanted to do was kiss her. He may not be able to control himself. Linc was less than fifty feet away so he knew he couldn't. The last thing he wanted was for this to affect all of them. He plays with a pepple on the dock with his foot. "Do you want to maybe go out sometime? You know, to a movie or dinner or whatever. Or we could do something else if you're not into that. Whatever you want." he asks, nervously.

She puts her hand over her mouth, trying to mask the uncontrollable laughter. "What, you didn't peg me for the dinner and a movie type?"

He shrugs. "No, not really. You're not like other girls. None that I know anyway. You know, easy."

"You're right, I'm not easy. I don't know if that's a good thing though." Julie answers. She had never been all that girly. She was always the one playing with the boys when she was a kid. She'd never had a close girl friend either. Not even in high school. All of the girls her age pretty much thought she was trailer trash. Damaged goods. She was the loner with a different boyfriend every week who she'd dump after she got what she wanted from him.

Pete's jaw tightens as he nervously runs a hand through his hair. He felt like a mumbling idiot for some reason. "I like you, okay?"

She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. The wind was getting stronger by the minute. "Pete, you don't have to."

He steps closer to her, takes off his jacket, and hands it to her. "Here, put this on."

She takes it from him. "Thanks."

"Just let me get this out, okay? I need to say this out loud or I'm gonna go fucking nuts." Julie nods, staying quiet. He continues, "The other night at the motel. That was-- I don't know what that was. I know we didn't do anything, but it meant something. It meant something to me."

Julie had never seen him look this sincere before. It was strange. "Me too, Pete."

He continued with caution, wanting to say this right. He definately didn't want to get thrown over the Boardwalk. That was for sure. "I've never felt anything like that. Just holding somebody and not doing anything afterwards, you know? Holding someone and not-- not wanting to let them go. Ever."

His fists clench when he thinks of Billy. That son of a bitch who had made Julie relapse. That was the only thing she'd ever been proud of since he'd met her. Her sobriety. That asshole took that away from her. He'd used her and lied to her. Something Pete would die before he would ever do to her. "I've never wanted to kill somebody so bad in my life. That Billy guy, for playing you like that."

He unclenches his fists, trying to calm himself. "The next morning when I woke up and you were laying there next to me all I wanted to do was kiss you, Jules. That's all I wanted. So I guess what I'm trying to say, and maybe I'm not saying it too well but I'm trying the best I know how, is that I like you. I like you a whole lot. And it's not because we work together and I have to watch your back, and it's not because you're pretty much the only girl I see everyday. It's because I really, genuinely like you."

Julie gently takes hold of the end of his long shirt sleeve. She had no clue what to say. Pete puts his hand behind her neck and she looks up at him surprised at the foreward jesture. She returns it by putting her free hand on his arm. "Look, it's cool if you don't want to give this a shot. I may feel like the biggest asshole in the world, but I can live with that. Hell, Linc tells me I'm an asshole all the time." he jokes.

She enlaces her fingers with his. He watches her do this. "I don't think you're an asshole." she answers.

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	2. Back To Work

**A/N:**

Hope everyone liked the first chapter. From here on out I'll be putting sneak peeks at the end of every chapter so you know what's coming next.

_italics _represent flashbacks

Read/Review :)

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Julie sat in the parking lot of the police station for almost twenty minutes. She wasn't doing anything inparticular like looking for something in her purse or cleaning out the incredibly messy floorboard in her car, which she should have done weeks ago. No. She was hiding from Pete. Since the conversation at the Boardwalk a week and a half ago, they'd been acting like honeymooners. They'd spent their days together at the beach or taking long walks down the Santa Monica pier. After he took her home, he'd call her and they spent hours talking about nothing. And when they couldn't talk anymore, one of them would come over, they'd make love all night long, and get up the next afternoon and do the very same thing.

They'd been in their own little world together, but the inevidable happend. Work beckoned. Today was the first day back with a new captain and new cops working over them that could actually use weapons. More shit to deal with. More undercover work that would probably last months. She made it clear to him the night before that they couldn't tell anyone they were together. Romantic relationships in the work place, in this work place at least, was actionable for dismissal and could get one or both of them killed. They'd all been told that at orientation by Captain Greer. _Greer_. It would be weird without him as their boss. It didn't seem right. Nothing did at the moment.

Pete hadn't taken the news well. Apparently, he'd thought they would be the exception to the rule.

"Fuck 'em," he'd said, "I'd like to see them try to fire either of us. Who gives a shit if they find out, anyway? They're a bunch of old guys with bad backs and corns. We can get into a thousand places that they can't. They need us. If they didn't, we wouldn't be going back. We're not even real cops." But Julie explained that she couldn't take the chance of losing this job. There was nothing else for her now. This was it. She could tell by the way he looked down at her that it had hurt him. But he said he understood, and wouldn't say anything to anyone. Not even to Linc. "Yeah, right." she'd said, "We'll see how long that lasts. You're like two girls in a schoolyard. You guys tell eachother everything. I'll give you a week." He just laughed and said, "You underestimate me, you know that?" Julie shook her head and traced shapes on his bare chest with her index finger. "No. I just know you."

The truth was that Julie knew Linc wouldn't say anything. Even if he were to find out by accident or pick up on something between them. He would never say anything to anybody. Let alone to the superiors over them who he rarely showed an ounce of respect to. Most of the time he never said anything at all, unless he was relaying information. He was all business, all the time. That was just how Linc was. Always the consumate professional.

_"No. I just know you." _Julie did know Pete. He'd told her more about himself in the past week and a half than anyone had ever told her in her life. How he was born into a wealthy family and raised by the maids and nannies. His parents both had demanding jobs and social lives and rarely spent any time with him as a child. He had alot of friends and of girlfriends who meant nothing to him. Both were only interested in his bank account and who his parents were. As a teenager, he started hanging out with the wrong crowd and got into drugs. He was in an out of jail for years and got kicked out of his house and high school at sixteen. He stayed at a different house every night and eventually started breaking into condos on the beach with a crew. Until one night when someone from his crew started a fire in one of the condos and they were all charged with arson, which is how he ended up at the bureau.

Greer saved his life, he'd said. He would have been dead by now for sure. And Julie believed him and silently thanked Greer, wherever he was, for doing everything that he did for him. When he asked her about her past, she didn't relay much. She wasn't ready for that yet. She definately hadn't grown up with a white picket fence or into a family with money. She spent most of her childhood and teen years in a trailer park with a drunk, gambling addict for a father who left when she was nine and a selfish mother who nothing was ever good enough for. So, when he asked, all she said was, "That's another story for another day in bed." She nuzzled the crown of her head against his neck and he never said anything else about it. She liked that he didn't push her. It seemed like that's all anyone in Julie's life ever did.

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Julie took a deep breath and slung her purse over her shoulder. Before she even got inside the double doors she saw him. Pete was leaning against the wall with two coffees in his hands waiting for her. Fuck. It was like the conversation last night never even happend. She pulled the door open and gave him daggers. Right away Pete knew she was pissed and immidiately threw one of the coffees in a nearby trash can. Maybe he should have saved it for Linc whenever he showed. But he was thinking in the moment.

Julie huffed as she walked past him. "I can buy my own coffee. Don't buy me coffee, and don't wait for me like I'm your wife or something, got it?"

Pete had to jog just to catch up with her. "Don't buy you coffee. Don't wait for you, and we're not married. Recieved."

She stops at the front desk and signs in. After making sure no one is in earshot, "While you're making that list add don't be a smart ass this early in the morning too. That's a big one with me. By the way, I'm glad you think all of this is so fucking hilarious."

"I will try not to be a smart ass. But I'm an intellectual so I'm not promising anything. The jokes come naturally. I was actually like _this_ close to being a stand up comedian."

She feels a smile spread across her face. Julie knew she shouldn't encourage him, but he couldn't help it. "Stop making me smile. It's so irritating."

He scoots closer to her so he's only inches away from her body. She could feel the warmth from his side. This was going to be harder than she thought. "You know what else is irritating," He moves closer to her ear and whispers, "Not being able to touch my own girlfriend in public. I feel like I'm a fucking Irish Monk. That's what's irritating. Have I told you how good you look?"

Julie puts her hand on her forehead, taking a deep breath. "Okay. That's it. Come on." She grabs his hand and pulls him into a nearby supply closet.

After pulling the door closed and locking it, she shoves him hard against the shelves. Pete chuckles, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. "Since when do you like it rough?" She quickly knees him in the groin and he leans over in pain. He whispers loudly, "Jesus, Jules! What the hell? Goddamn it that hurt."

She crosses her arms over her chest and moves to the opposite side of the closet. "First of all, I am _not_ your girlfriend when we're at work. Get that through your head. Second, are you trying to get us both canned? Is that what you're doing, because if you are then it's working. What the hell is wrong with you? We talked about this last night. You said you understood, Pete."

Pete holds a hand up, still keeled over. "Sorry, I'm trying to regain my standing position over here. Let's recap so that I know I heard all of that. You're not my girlfriend when we're at work, and I shouldn't try and get us both canned. Am I right?"

She stands in front of him, her hard expression not even softening. "When you repeat the things I say over and over it irritates me even more. And Pete if I wanted to hurt you, I would have. And I know I didn't. So man-up and stop milking it."

He smiles at his feet. It actually had hurt alot at first, but the pain went away quickly. Nothing got past her. "Let me ask you a question. Why'd you really pull me in here?" Julie doesn't answer him. The way he was staring at her was making Julie uncomfortable. "Baby.."

Julie groans, "Did you just call me baby?" she asks, with a sigh.

Pete nods, smiling at her. "I think I did, yeah. Come on, answer the question. Why'd you pull me in here?"

Her eyes dart from him to the shelf of cleaning supplies across from her. She thought she'd pushed him into the closet to set him straight. Now she wasn't so sure. _Damn him._ Pete smiles, knowing that she was finally loosening up. He cupped her cheek with his hand. "What are you doing?" Julie breathes.

Pete moves closer to her face, caressing her side. He quickly spins her whole body around so her back is to the shelf and he's in control. She tried to protest, but his hands were pinning her wrists to the cold metal and his entire body frame was pressed against hers. The sexual tension was paralyzing. There was so much of it between them that it was hard to breathe. Normally, she would have already drop kicked the person who was holding her down like this. A part of Julie was scared to death. Not of him, but the way he made her feel. She liked it. She leaned her head back and he kisses her neck. "Pete, we can't do this in here. It's not appropriate."

"If you can get past me be my guest. Otherwise, I'm assuming the position." he says, in between kisses.

She feels heat rising to her face. Letting out a small moan, "Is that a challenge? Because I could drop kick you in the balls again, and get out of here just as fast as you drop."

Pete shakes his head, releasing her wrists from his gentle grip. He runs his hands through her hair and kisses her on the mouth. "I don't think you'd do that unless you felt threatened. And I am completely non-threatening. As you should know by now."

Julie couldn't help but giggle at this notion. Pete was probably the most non-threatening human being she'd ever met in her life. Even when he held a gun he didn't look threatening, which is why he usually got his ass kicked unless Linc was with him on the job. "Fuck off, Cochran. We have to go meet our new boss. He's probably an asshole like you so you two should get along fine."

He kisses her forehead lovingly, putting his arms on both sides of her. "Cops are supposed to be assholes. That's why no one likes them."

Julie takes his sunglasses that are folded in his pocket. She holds them up. "Are you actually gonna wear these in there?"

He nods, taking them back from her. "Yep."

"You do know that those things anger most people and you look like Smokey and the Bandit in them, right?"

He looks at her confused, placing them back in his pocket. "Smokey and who?"

She pushes him off of her and walks to the door. "Nothing. Wait and then come out after me, okay?"

Pete does a small salute. "Hey," he says before she leaves. She turns back around, "Yeah?"

"I'm not adding calling you baby to the list. I like it too much."

Julie smiles shyly, walking out the door. "Shutup."

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Captain Rodriguez threw down the files he was supplied with on the three 20-somethings sitting in front of him. Assault. Arson. Armned Robbery. It was unbelievable that these kids had lasted as long as they have. But, they did break the last case open and the department was obviously greatful for that since they're back on staff and IA was backing it. Before he spoke, he eyed the one on the end with his feet up on the empty chair in front of him. "Get your feet off my chair, Hayes. I just bought that."

Linc stares the man down for a couple of seconds, but reluctantly does what he's told, placing his hands behind his head. "It's nice. A little on the cheap side, but nice. I guess the department doesn't pay you shit though. I hear that."

Pete nods in agreement, adjusting his sunglasses over his eyes. "Green would have gone better with the walls, probably."

Julie just shakes her head. They had been acting like this the whole time they'd been in Captain Rodriguez's office. He seemed like a nice enough guy. He wasn't Greer, but he seemed fair and even-tempered, and she assumed he wanted to help them effectively do their jobs. She smiles slightly at him, who looked like he wanted to snatch those sunglasses right off of Pete's head. He pushed a file across the desk to her. "This is your first assignment, kids. You start tonight. Be at the club at ten sharp. The directions are in there, too. Shouldn't be too hard to find, but just a heads up it's in a bad area. Barnes, you'll go separately. You need to be there at nine for your shift. Since it's your first night make it eight-thirty as a show of good faith. Make nice with the manager and the other waitreses.. the bartender.. the bouncer's. You know the drill. The job's all set up."

Julie takes three of the files, passing one each to Linc and Pete. She looks up from her file. "Cocktail waitress?"

The Captain nods, "It was either that, a bartender, or one of the call girls they've got working in the back rooms that they're prostituting illegally, which is what we're trying to blow the lid off of. They have enough bartenders and I figured you wouldn't be comfortable with the latter. Am I right?"

She nods quickly. "I didn't mean it like that. I just-- I've worked as a cocktail waitress on the job and off before, and I hate the uniforms. But I'll deal. Not a problem." The last thing Julie wanted was to dive back into posing as a prostitute/waitress again. She wasn't ready for that. Not after what had happend with Billy.

"Good, good." says the Captain as the phone on his desk rings. "Rodriguez?" He waves his hand for them to leave.

Pete glanced at Julie past Linc before they stood up. She walks out of the room and Linc notices. "What? Do I have something on my jacket?"

Pete shakes his head, watching Julie leave. "No, man. No. The jacket's good. It looks good." he rambles.

Julie walks past them carrying two small boxes on top of eachother. "Here, I'll take those." Pete says, trying to take them from her.

She snatches them away and keeps walking. "No it's okay. Worry about moving your own stuff."

Linc watches Pete strangely as he stares at Julie walking away, and arranging things on her desk in the back of the station. "Did I miss something?"

"No. I did." says Pete, simply.

"That makes alot of sense, Pete." says Linc, snatching the sunglasses off of his face. "I'm taking these. They're starting to piss me off."

Pete looks at him wide-eyed, trying to get them back. "What the hell?"

Linc holds them over his head. "I'm keeping them. Hey, can you believe they're actually giving us desks?"

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**Coming Up:** Julie, Pete, and Linc start the undercover work at Insomnia. The gang aren't happy when Rodriguez sends cops to babysit them on their first assignment with him as Captain, and Pete finds out something about Julie's past.


	3. The Green Eyed Monster

**A/N:**

_italics _represent flashbacks

Read/Review :)

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Captain Rodriguez's comment about the club Julie, Linc, and Pete were working, Insomnia, being in a bad area had to be the understatement of the decade. It was about half an hour from Hollywood, where most of the clubs they worked were, and closer to Compton. Julie had lived in that area growing up. It was a hell hole. She hadn't been within a ten mile radius of that place since she'd left home at seventeen. But this was her job. She just had to suck it up and hope they'd find some evidence soon.

She'd already been upstairs to talk to the manager before she started her shift ten minutes ago. He was a real creep, which was the m.o. with most of the mangers in clubs like this one. She'd already seen two rooms with guards standing outside when she walked out of his office. Three downstairs with the same thing.

Julie moved through the crowds towards the bathroom. She looked herself over in the mirror, making a face as she ran her hands down the skimpy silver tank top and short black skirt. The heels she was wearing were about to kill her. All she wanted to do was slide them off and walk barefoot. They called this a uniform? She may as well be working the corner.

She adjusted her name tag and made her way back outside. Linc was standing over by the end of the bar waiting for an update. Julie walked up with a tray of empty drinks and stood beside him, filling them with various kinds of alcohol. "Any update?" Linc asks.

"Two rooms upstairs with guards. Two at each door. I'm guessing those are the higher ends. Three rooms down here with only one guard for all the rooms. They're down the hallway right behind you, but you won't get down there unless you pay, and actually-- you know." Julie tries to explain.

Linc clears his throat, letting her know that he understands. No pay, no bootie. "Yeah, I got it."

"This is gonna be a piece of cake. They may as well be advertising at the door."

Linc glances at the hallway in question behind him. Sure enough, there was the guard right in front. All three hundred pounds of him. "Don't get too excited there, Silver. We can only get the lay of the land tonight. We have wait to go in. If that guy wasn't there, I'd just go now, but if it causes a scene and we get booted.."

"No, that's no good. We're already on thin ice as it is." Julie starts looking around. "Speaking of which, seen Pete?"

Linc nods to his left behind him. "He's covering the other side." Julie looks in that direction. Pete was standing there staring right at her. He was ignoring every other girl around, and there were alot of them. Their eyes met and she immidiately looked back to Linc. "Looks like he's doing okay."

"He isn't doing much of anything. He's been acting wierd all night. He's usually up to about five different girls he's either danced or gotten his bump and grind on with by now. Hasn't so much as touched any of them. He get whipped when I wasn't looking or something?"

Julie's eyes dart to the floor, back to Pete, and then to Linc. "No. I mean-- I don't know. How would I know? Why would you think that? He doesn't tell me stuff about his girlfriends." She stops, realizing that she's rambling and Linc's looking at her like she's nuts. "I mean, I wouldn't know about his personal life. He doesn't tell me stuff like that. I thought you were the one he told everything too anyway. I never see him with anyone else."

Linc smiles a little. "He ain't my homie if that's what you're getting at, but yeah-- we're friends I guess. He just hasn't said anything about a lady in his life is all. I'd think he'd be bragging up a storm about it. Always talking about how he's such a ladies man."

By the time Linc had finished his sentence, Julie had completely zoned out. She couldn't believe that after only two weeks of seeing Pete he was being this loyal. It was like he'd become a completely different person. She didn't feel like she'd changed at all. What the hell did that mean? Linc snaps his fingers in front of her face. "What?" she asks him.

"How did the meeting with the manager go?" Linc asks her again.

Julie lifts the tray with both hands. "Oh, fine. Just your usual asshole, club manager. He seems sleazy enough to assume he's running the whole thing. There's an assistant manager too. He won't be here until tomorrow night. His name's Jack Petrie. He may even run it for him. Haven't figured it out yet."

"It's information. That's good enough for me. I'm gonna let you get back to work. I'll be outside checking out everything in the back. Maybe they have back doors that lead into the alley or something." says Linc, walking past her.

"Good idea. Be careful."

"Always. I told Pete to keep an eye out for you." he tells her, before slipping out.

Julie walked over to the large bachelor party with a tray full of drinks. "Three margaritas? Two Vodka tonics, one with a lime. One White Russian. Six beers. One of them light." One of the men tastes his drink and immidiately slams it down on the table, almost breaking the thin glass. "Sweetheart, I don't know how long you've been a waitress, but this isn't a White Russian, and if it is it's the worst I've ever had."

The man holds up the glass to her. She tries to put on a fake smile as she takes it from him. All Julie wanted to do was spit in the drink. "I'll get it right back to you. Sorry about that. It's my first night. You know how it is."

"It shows. No offense." the man says, sarcastically.

Her plastered smile fades as she turns around and goes back to the bar, refilling the drink. She goes back and hands it to him. He tastes it and looks pleased. Turns out, Julie had put the wrong mix in the drink before. She should have done it again just to piss him off. Jackass. "This is great. Thanks. See? I knew you could do it."

Julie turns to leave when she feels a hand around her waist pull her back. She whips around and the man from before is looking her body up and down. "Listen, are you working later? Is there someone I can talk to that can arrange and little get together? Your manager maybe?"

It was taking all her will not to pop this guy in the face. His hand roamed from her waist to her ass. She gently removed it. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm a waitress. This isn't that kind of club, and if it is I'm not the girl to ask. Try someone else."

He takes twenty dollars out of his pocket, stands up only inches away from her face, and sticks it in her cleavage. She doesn't move. "I'll do that," He glances at her name tag. "Julie. It was nice talking to you."

Julie puts on the fake smile again, staying calm. The last thing she wanted to do was blow her cover. As far as she was concerned, what had just happend could be considered evidence. "You too. Have a nice night."

As soon as she turned around, Pete was standing there. He was fuming, and staring down the man who'd just had his hands all over her. Julie quickly stepped in front of him and placed her hands firmly against his chest. "Pete." she whispers. He lunges forward, but she pushes back harder. "Don't. Please. Please, Pete. Don't do this to me."

Julie takes hold of his hand, trying to pull him away from the table. They hadn't noticed they were standing there yet. There were too many people dancing around them. "We need to talk in private right now." He hasn't looked away from the laughing man who was now chatting it up with a new cocktail waitress. "Pete." she says, more firmly.

Pete angerly walks past her towards the bathrooms. He stops in the hallway and kicks the wall. Julie just stands there watching. She was just as angry as he was. He looks back at her. "What? What did you expect me to do? That asshole's hands were all over you and then he sticks money down your shirt. What? I was supposed to just stand there and watch the show?"

"Yes! You should have--" she stops when someone walks past them into the men's restroom. "We can't talk about this here." She pulls him into the unisex bathroom on the end and locks the door behind her. "You should have let it go, Pete. You're gonna blow our cover. Why are you acting like this?!" she shouts.

Pete puts his hands on top of his head in exasperation. "The guy had his hands all over you, Jules! I was-- Jesus, I was trying to help you out. I was coming over to see if you were okay after he grabbed you. I was just gonna act like some concerned good samaritian or something. I get there and he's fucking groping you! I lost it for a second. I wouldn't have done anything."

"Pete," Julie starts, coming closer to him. "I had to hold you back. I was there too remember? Don't give me that shit. You would have compromised all of us if I hadn't of been there to stop you from tackling the creep."

Pete looks down at the floor, nodding his head as she's talking. She was right. Julie sighs, draping her arms over his shoulder blades. "Look at me."

He looks back up at her and kisses her bare arm. "You're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm okay. I'm fine. I can take care of myself. I've been doing this for as long as you have, remember? And if you say _but you're a girl_ I'll kill you."

"I'm sorry," He pulls Julie into a hug, stroking the back of her hair. "I lost it. It's just that guy.."

Julie pulls away from him. "That guy is like all of the other guys in places like this. I'm used to it. I know how to handle myself with people like that. You don't lose your temper, especially if it's a customer. You just roll with it. If he gets too rough you call one of the bouncer's over. It wasn't even close to being that bad, Pete. Trust me. I've seen girls, just kids, get thrown and smacked around." She laughs. "All he did was touch me. That's allowed. Occupational hazard, which is why I have a different occupation."

Pete isn't laughing, and looks even more upset than before. "I've never been like this. I don't know what happend to me, really. It's fucked."

Julie takes both of his hands. "No one saw us. It's over. Don't worry about it. Just, you know, don't it again. If I need your help, I'll ask for it."

He lifts her hand to his lips and kisses the top. "You wouldn't have to ask. I'd do it anyway."

"I know."

Julie left the bathroom first and as soon as she did Linc came out of the small hallway. He tipped the guard in front and spotted her from across the room. He walked over to her just as Pete was coming out. "Find anything?" Pete asks Linc.

He takes an ID a pay stub out of his pocket. "I went to the alley back there and wanted to see if the door on the side of the building is the one that leads to one of those rooms. It is. I paid for a session so I could check things out. I got put with this girl and she started talking. I think she was drunk or high or something like that. Her speech was slurred, but she knew what she was talking about. From what she told me, I know what they do, how they do it, and most importantly how they get away with it. Now, I--"

Linc stops talking when he realizes Julie is staring down at the ID. "What's wrong?"

Pete looks to her, concerned. She was shaking and looked like she was about to cry. "Jules?" He put his hand on her back.

"Th-- this is the girl that you talked to back there? The one that danced for you?" Julie asked him.

Linc nods. "Yeah, the kid in the picture. That's her. Why? Do you recognize her?"

Julie hands him back the ID. "She's my sister."

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**Coming Up:** Julie doesn't want Linc or Pete to use her sister, Amy, as a source of information for the case.


	4. Don't Say I Love You

** A/N:**

_italics _represent flashbacks

Read/Review :)

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Linc sighed heavily, turning his head to the backseat where Julie was sitting next to Pete. His arm was around her shoulder. She hadn't looked up at him once for the past hour they'd been sitting in the car. She was just staring down at her hands. This situation with her sister had really hit her hard. Pete and Linc exchanged worried glances. "We don't have to say anything about your sister." Linc tells Julie.

Julie shoots him a look, "She's a witness, Linc. You and I both know we have to tell the Captain. There's no way around it. Not without completely blowing the case to hell. I'm not gonna do that. Those other girls need to get out of there as much as she does."

Linc turned back around in his seat, trying to come up with a solution. He wasn't about to push Julie about why her sister was there to begin with. That was nobody's business but her own. But this affected the case and the careers of all three of them. They had to deal with it in some way. "Okay, how about this. You talk to her face to face. See if you can get her to go on the record anonymously, if at all. If she's too scared to do it then we'll just talk to some of the other girls. No one has to know who she is. She has a different last name anyway, right?"

Julie nods. "Yeah, she changed it a while back."

"Okay, then there's no way Rodriguez or anyone else could ever find out. It stays here between us. Agreed?" Linc says, motioning to Pete.

"You won't get any trouble from me. It stays here." Pete answers softly, gripping his arm around Julie tighter.

She leans into Pete, wishing at that moment that she could ask him to hold her again like she had that night at the motel. But Linc was there, and she knew this wasn't the time or place for that. Julie slowly put her hand on top of his, and he took it without reservations. She needed him, and he was going to be there for her. He didn't care that Linc kept looking back in the rear view mirror while they drove to Julie's apartment.

The car stopped at the apartment building and Pete got out first. Julie looked at him one last time before letting go of his hand, and starting up the stairs. After the doors closed behind her, Pete wanted to go with her so bad it hurt. The pain was enough to rip his heart out. But he knew he couldn't. He turns back around and slides into the front seat, staring ahead.

Linc sits there for a few seconds without starting the engine. He looks over at Pete. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Huh?" Pete asks, looking over at him.

"You want to go, go man. You know you want to." Pete stares at Linc in bewilderment. Had he known about Julie and him all this time? "How did you.."

Linc starts laughing harder now, unable to contain himself. "Wow-- Pete. How long have we all been working together? Three, four years? You're not the only one with eyes in the back of their head, man. I see everything. What, did you guys think I was gonna tell somebody?"

Pete shakes his head. "No, no. Well, I mean maybe. She thought. I wanted to tell you."

Linc wasn't surprised or offended really. He knew this job was the only thing that kept Julie going. She'd go crazy without it. Maybe even go back to her old life. "Look, I'm not gonna say anything. Just don't advertise at work and y'all should be cool. She makes you happy?"

Pete looks down, smiling and shaking his head embarrassed. "What do you think?"

"Oh, now you want to know what I think?" Linc asks, sarcastically.

Pete shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe. Yeah."

"I think.. ever since I met up with both of you at the beach before the thing with Tricky went down, I'd never seen you look at anyone the way you were looking at her. You looked at her the same way earlier when you climbed in the backseat with her. That's how I knew. It's not that hard to put together. You almost look like you're in.. You um-- you in love her or what?"

"I don't know. Maybe. I know that I care about her and that I want to see good things happen for her. I know that. I go nuts when I see her with other guys. I almost flipped out tonight at the club. I felt like my head was gonna explode. This fucking asshole had his hands all over her. I don't usually do that over just anyone.. or anyone really. I've never cared enough to be jealous like that."

Linc runs a hand through his hair. "Well, that can't happen again. You losing it on the job. That'll get your ass killed. I'm not playin' either."

"She already reemed me about it." Pete laughs, covering his face. "She pulled me into the unisex bathroom and yelled at me for five minutes."

Linc lightly slaps his back. "Well, Pete. Sounds like you've got yourself a girlfriend. Even if she is our partner, and if anyone but me finds out one or both of you could get canned. But a girlfriend all the same."

Pete rolls his eyes. "Thanks, man. I feel alot better."

"Not a problem," Linc starts the engine. "Now get out of my car and go see your girl."

Pete thanked him again and went up the stairs. Linc rolls the window closed. "I've got a little business to attend to myself."

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Pete stops when he reaches Julie's front door. It was halfway open. He pushes it open all the way and walks inside. Pieces of glass were all over the middle of the floor. He sees a small trail of blood and his heart almost stops. He quickly shuffles to the bathroom. Julie is sitting against the wall, adjacent to the tub, knees pulled to her chest. "What are you doing here, Pete?" she asks, emotionlessly.

He's almost startled when she speaks. He didn't know what to make of this. This wasn't the strong Julie that he knew. She was like a completely different person. He kneels down to her level, his eyes immidiately scanning her body for injuries. He couldn't see anything visibily wrong with her. Where had the blood on the floor come from? He sat indian style across from her, and noticed a red dot on the white tile next to her foot. "Did you cut yourself on the glass out there?"

She covers the side of her foot with one hand. "Not on purpose. I stepped on it after I knocked it over. It doesn't even hurt. I don't feel anything."

He scoots closer to her, trying to move her hand. She pushes it away, defensively. "I just said it doesn't hurt."

"Hey," Pete's eyes burn into hers, "You trust me? Let me look at it. It'll take a minute to take out if there's even anything in there."

She rolled her eyes, uncovering her foot. She turns away when the blood is in plain view. She hated the sight of blood. She'd never even seen someone dying before she watched Greer bleed to death from the gunshot wounds in that tunnell. The images still plagued her. She felt a small prick and quickly looks back at Pete. "What are you doing?" asked him, alarmed.

He had taken the tweezers out of her makeup bag on the counter, and was halfway done getting the piece of glass out of her foot only in a matter seconds. "Almost done. It looks fine. It's just a small piece. Don't look. It's easier that way." She looks away and squeezes his free hand.

"Presto. See? Not so bad." He wets a wash cloth and cleans her foot. She hands him a band-aid from under the sink. "Why'd you come?"

"Linc." Pete answers, almost inaudibly. She looks at him strangely. "Why would Linc ask you to come up here?"

Pete looks back at her, staying silent. She lets out a deep breath. "He knows?"

"He figured it out. I didn't tell him anything."

She was about to say something, but stops herself. He would have found out anyway. "It doesn't even matter." Julie leans her back against the wall, and realizes she hasn't let go of Pete's hand. She slowly takes her hand back, tucking it underneathe her lower arm. "You know I saw her-- my sister, Amy. I saw her last month and I never knew. How could I not know? Why wouldn't she tell me something like that?"

Pete shrugs. "Maybe she didn't want to disappoint you."

Julie laughs, "No, trust me. She's disappoint me before, and visaversa. We're over the disappointment stage. I just thought she was over all that. She was doing really good."

"She's been in this line of work before?" Pete asks, curiously.

She nods, "Yeah. A few years back. She was in trouble with this guy Mike. He was a drug dealer and she'd been with him for awhile. He beat her up constantly. She tried to leave a bunch of times, but he'd just find her and reel her back in. She'd always go back to him. Then he beat her up so bad that she landed in the hospital. After I threatened to kill him, she promised she'd leave him for good. So, I helped her disappear. She changed her name and moved out of Compton to L.A. She knew he wouldn't care enough to look for her there and even if he did, she made sure that he'd never find her. She started working as a dancer at this club. I found out about it and completely flipped out on her. I was _so_ mad. I remember walking into that club this one night and pulling her off the stage. We were yelling at eachother on the street. We said some things we didn't mean. Long story short, nothing changed. She kept dancing. Said it was because he'd never find her there. Somehow she thought it was a safe place. Whatever that means."

Julie continues, "About a month ago she called me and said she wanted to meet up. We had lunch at this place over on Sunset. She seemed fine. Said she was doing great, and that she wanted to start seeing me again. How stupid am I?"

Pete pushes her chin up with his hand, forcing her to look at him. "You're not stupid. You care about her. You wanted to believe she was getting her life together. You hadn't seen her in what, a couple of years? There's no way you 'couda known."

"I know. I just never wanted her to end up like me. Mean and hard. The world's done that to me. Amy was always a really sweet as a kid. Everyone loved her." Julie looks down, "Then I started getting into trouble and left home. I was sixteen. That's when it all started. Our Mother broke her down until she was nothing. She did it to me and passed it on to the next generation. Fucking bitch." she mumbles, running her hands through her hair.

Pete moves next to Julie and puts an arm around her shoulder. "You're a good person, Julie. Mean and hard. Broken down. I don't see you that way."

She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. "How do you see me?"

"Hearing you talk about your sister-- I can tell you really love her. That means something to her. I don't care what she says. It means something. No one loved me like that growing up. I tried to find it in other things, but it didn't work. There was always an empty space. That's why I did all the things that I did. I don't--" He stops for a moment. "When I look at you-- when I feel you next to me, the space isn't there. Jules.."

She puts her finger on his lips. "Don't. You don't mean it yet. You don't have to tell me so I won't leave you. I won't. Pete, I can't even put into words how safe you make me feel. How I want to be with you when I'm not, and how I want to touch you when you're standing across a room from me." She takes a deep breath, putting her hand on his cheek. "When you say it, I want you to be sure. And I know right now you're not. All _I_ know right now is that I need you, and I don't want you to leave."

Pete tries to speak, but his mind is suddenly blank. She was right. He wasn't sure if he loved her, and he didn't want to say it if he wasn't sure. How could she read him so well? He pulls her against him and kisses her forehead. "I need you too. And I'm not leaving you. I'm here."

Julie's eyes begin to flicker open and shut. She was so tired. Her head lowered to Pete's lap and she fell asleep.

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**Coming Up:** Linc fights with Captain Rodriguez.Julie confronts Amy and questions her about her job.


End file.
